Los Angeles Cross at Olvera Street Faces Legal Challenge Over Religious Display
A lawsuit by atheist resident Jack Gerritsen seeks to remove a 1929 wooden cross and associated Nativity scene from Olvera Street, prompting merchants to defend the historic symbols.
An atheist resident, Jack Gerritsen, sued Los Angeles to have a ten-foot wooden cross, erected in 1929 at the entrance of Olvera Street, removed or covered, and to halt the annual Nativity display, claiming they breach the Establishment Clause. A district court refused to grant a preliminary injunction, finding his claim unlikely to succeed, and Gerritsen appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Merchants who have operated on Olvera Street for generations, backed by the nonprofit Becket, contend the cross is a historic cultural fixture integral to the area’s Mexican-American heritage.
Andrea Butler, counsel for the merchants, emphasized that the First Amendment does not require erasing longstanding religious symbols that have become part of public history. If Gerritsen prevails, the city may be forced to remove the cross and related displays permanently. The court’s decision on the merchants’ motion to intervene is expected in the coming months, leaving Angelenos uncertain about the future of the nearly century-old monument.
Why it matters
The case could set a precedent for how historic religious symbols on public property are treated under the Constitution.
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